Prince & the Band Invade The Troubadour: Nuit Onze (et Douze)

[PRINCE @ the Troubadour | May 11, 2011 & May 12, 2011]

Page 77 in the "How to be a Hardcore Prince Fan" Handbook states that you must be ready for whenever Prince decides he wants to do an impromptu random club date with little to no notice. True to regular fashion, Prince did exactly this when he booked two shows in one night at the Troubadour. Just as everyone got comfortable with the Forum routine --- shows going on sale at the beginning of the week for THAT weekend, he threw us a zinger to find out who was still awake. And only a select few fans and A-listers were able to hustle and attend these two shows.

Since the $100 ticket price was too steep for me on such short notice, I wasn't one of the lucky folks to attend.

Here is the setlist...taken from setlist.com:


FIRST SHOW:

STRATUS (with One Nation Under a Groove)
POWER FANTASTIC
SOMEWHERE HERE ON EARTH
BOOM
JAZZ SWING IN C
LET'S GET IT ON (Andy Allo on vocals)
COLONIZED MIND (Mike Phillips on sax)
WHEN SHE COMES (new song??)
SHHH/U WILL B WITH ME
CONTROVERSY
MUSICOLOGY
A CASE OF U (Joni Mitchell cover)
POP LIFE
BEGGIN' WOMAN BLUES



SECOND SHOW:

I LIKE IT THERE
ENDORPHINMACHINE
DREAMER
COLONIZED MIND
BAMBI
BROWN SKIN (Shelby J. on vocals)
SAME PAGE (Elisa Fiorillo-Dease on vocals)
MISTY BLUE (Shelby J. on vocals)
MUSICOLOGY
CRIMSON & CLOVER
WAITING IN VAIN (Andy Allo on vocals)
SHE'S ALWAYS IN MY HAIR
WILD THING
PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC

ENCORE:
PEACH
FUTURE SOUL SONG
I WANT TO BE FREE
STRATUS (with Get Up, Stand Up Interpolation)

ENCORE 2:
ANOTHERLOVERHOLEINYOHEAD/ROCK LOBSTER (w/ Let's Go Crazy guitar coda)



IMHO, it seems like the second show was the better of the two, although this would depend on who you ask. I, for one, love it when Prince breaks out the hard core rock tunes at his shows. And while I certainly appreciate it when he is feeling the jazzier grooves, I prefer watching him wail on his guitar like he wants to break it in two. BUT, I wasn't there, so I my opinion really doesn't matter. LOL

As luck would have it, some mystery person was streaming the first show somehow...and I was able to hear some of it. But I'm guessing whatever he was using to stream ran out of steam, because I didn't hear any of the rock-laden 2nd show.

For those of you counting — and with the benefit of hindsight as I'm writing these last few setlist/reviews weeks later — these two Troubadour shows DO count in the 21 Nights...#11 & 12.

Onward!

Prince @ the Forum: Nuit Sept

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | April 30, 2011]

No Opening Act tonight

Show begins at 9:06pm

• DMSR
• Pop Life
• Renatto Jazz Break
• Musicology
• So Far/So Pleased (with special guest, GWEN STEFANI!!!) --- Never in my life thought I'd hear this song with them together!!! Was kind of hoping they'd pull out WAITING ROOM as well.
• Question of U intro into/The One/Cockeyed Woman
• I Feel 4 U with Elisa, Shelby & Liv singing the chorus from "If I Could Get Ur Attention" (song Prince wrote for Taja Sevelle) -- this one had me racking my brain...I couldn't place the song at first. He reached WAAAAAAY back for that one!!! (Also given to Mayte Garcia and recorded for her album, Child of the Sun, but never made it onto the final track list.)
• Controversy
• Love Rollercoaster/(Housequake chant)
• Glamorous Life
• Nothing Compares 2U
• Medley: Take Me With U/Raspberry Beret/Cream
• COOL (girls singing chorus from Don't Stop Till U Get Enough - homage to MJ)
• Let's Work
• U Got The Look

Encore 1 :::

• Whole Lotta Love (by Led Zeppelin with special guest NIKKA COSTA!!!!) OMG!!! --- It was a bit weird seeing Nikka on such a large stage...considering I've always been right in front of her at the Roxy when she plays. She's LUMINOUS!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE HER!!

Prince goes to piano:

• Something in the Water (Does Not Compute) (slowed down version)
• Strange Relationship
• How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore (with Shelby J)
• If I Was Ur Girlfriend

Encore 2 :::

• Kiss (Full version Prince jamming on keys)
• Purple Rain

Encore 3 :::

• Sexy Dancer Intro into Le Freak (by Chic --- sung by Elisa, Shelby & Liv)
• Play That Funky Music
• "Inglewood Swingin"
• I Like Funky Music

Encore 4 :::

• Sample Teaser Medley: When Doves Cry/Nasty Girl/Party All the Time (by Eddie Murphy)/Single Ladies/SOTT/TMBGITW/Darling Nikki/Hot Thing/Black Sweat/Love (OMG!!!)

Encore 5 :::

• The Bird/Jungle Love/Love Bizarre (Celebs from VIP areas take the stage)

Okay...so I TOTALLY LIED. Tonight's show put last night's show to shame. THIS ONE is now my reigning FAVORITE (so far). "Something in the Water" and "Strange Relationship" on piano AND TWO different surprise guests??? WHAT???!?!

And he didn't actually play them, but he sampled BLACK SWEAT and LOVE from 3121 during his "teaser medley" --- Could he possibly be giving us a taste of what might be on the set list for next week?? Oh please...PLEEEEEASE say it's so!!!!!!!!! LOVE IS MY JAM!!! I guess I'll just have to go to the next shows to find out, n'est-ce pas?? LOL!!!

But wait!!! There's more................... ;)

Prince @ the Forum: Nuit Six

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | April 29, 2011]

Opening Act::: MINT CONDITION

SET LIST :::

(Morris Hayes --- long one-key intro into...)

• Medley: Let's Go Crazy/Delirious/back into Let's Go Crazy extended version/1999
• Little Red Corvette (slowed down version)
• Shhh
• Mountains (Only The One chant)
• 17 Days/(girls sing chorus to Lovergirl by Teena Marie)
• Give It To Me Baby (by Rick James/Prince is on the BASS)
• Everyday People
• Play That Funky Music
• Glamorous Life
• Santana Medley
• Beginning of Question of U into The One/Gingerbread Man (Prince crawling on floor ala Alphabet St. --- guess he's hoping the ladies will buy more tickets)/Cockeyed Woman

• Take Me With U/Raspberry Beret/Cream
• COOL (girls singing chorus from Don't Stop Till U Get Enough - homage to MJ)
• 777-9311 (Prince vs Ida on bass --- and Morris jamming the key line from Computer Blue --- I was told I was hearing things, but HE DID DO IT. Another friend confirmed this.)
• Let's Work
• U Got The Look
• Make U Feel My Love (Elisa, Shelby, Liv, & Ida)
• Purple Rain

Encore 1 :::

• Kiss
• Love Bizarre
• Controversy

Encore 2 :::

Lights come up and Prince is lying down in the middle of the stage.

• Sample Teaser Medley: When Doves Cry/Nasty Girl/SOTT/TMBGITW/Forever In My Life/Single Ladies

Prince basically tried to kill us with the funk tonight. I had a few "non hardcore" friends come to the show tonight and I was SOOO HAPPY that they had a fantastic time. So much so, they want to come back again!!

Prince can play pretty much every instrument effortlessly. And I will always love him on guitar...but when he picks up a bass??? Dude. GAME OVER. I'm done. It's just too HOT for words. Somebody get me a cigarette...damn.

So far, I think this show is my favorite.

***Happy Birthday to Christoball***

Prince @ the Forum: Nuit Un --- Opening Night

[SET LIST: Prince @ the Forum | April 14, 2011]

Prince, as spontaneous as always announced the start of his LA run barely a week before the first show. Begrudgingly, I had to miss opening night because I had tickets to Janet Jackson — my first time ever, seeing her in concert — for over a month. It sucked that both of their LA runs were beginning on the same night. I had a sneaking suspicion that Prince did this on purpose...perhaps to see how quickly he could sell out even with Miss Jackson in town.

It seems likely because I distinctly remember Prince canceling a show and rescheduling it on the same night Madonna was playing. Hundreds of fans then had to choose between them...having had tickets to Madonna already in hand. I'm sure it sucked for Madonna fans back then...as it sucked for us Janet fans. But having seen Prince many times, I decided the world wouldn't stop turning if I missed opening night. And given that I have been wanting to see Janet in concert ever since I was in High School....well, Janet won this battle. (A review of her show is still pending.)

Taken from a friend's email, here's the set list from Prince's opening night at the Forum. A tremendously great sign of a fantastic tour. He apparently did 6 encores...And if I think about it too much, I'll just get madder that I missed it. So I'll shut up now and post the set list.

SETLIST:

1. DMSR Great opening number!!!!!
2. Pop Life
3. Prince & The Band Unexpected song that NO ONE else knows.
4. Extraordinary
5. Uptown
6. Raspberry Beret
7. Cream
8. Cool
(The Time cover) (with Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough interpolation)
9. Let's Work
10. U Got the Look
Interlude. The girls sang Bob Dylan's (or Adele's) Make you Feel My Love.
11. Purple Rain
12. Let's Go Crazy
13. Delirious
14. 1999
15. The Beautiful Ones
16. Little Red Corvette

ENCORE 1
18. Kiss
19. When Doves Cry / Nasty Girls / Sign Of The Times / Darling Nikki / 777-9311 / Single Ladies

20. If Eye Was Ur Girlfriend
21. Insatiable
22. Scandalous
23. Adore

ENCORE 2

25. A Love Bizarre
(with Sheila E.)
26. Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry cover)
27. Controversy (with Housequake chants)

ENCORE 3

29. The Glamorous Life
(with Sheila E.)
30. Peach (with Sheila E.)

ENCORE 4
32. Dance (Disco Heat)(Sylvester cover)
33. Baby I'm a Star

ENCORE 5
35. Stratus (Billy Cobham cover)
36. Sometimes It Snows in April

ENCORE 6
38. Laydown
39. Endorphinmachine
40. She's Always in My Hair

41. Dreamer (Instrumental)
42. Welcome 2 America

Getting Schooled on What Funk Really Means

Getting Schooled on What Funk Really Means

[CONCERT REVIEW — Jesse Johnson @ The Roxy | July 6, 2010]

I am SOOOO TIRED --- But damn, that was a GREAT FREAKING SHOW!!!

Yes, going into it expecting a 45-minute set and walking away 2 hours later saturated in FUNK was AN AWESOME MID-WEEK SURPRISE!!!

Yeah I knew Jesse could kick some ass on guitar, but SERIOUSLY?? I had no idea. NO IDEA.

It felt as if I was watching Prince in his PUREST form --- sans all the bullshit --- without the "All-Praise-to-Jehovah...The Internet-Sucks...I-Hate-My-Fans-But-I-Love-Their-Money...The-Woman-Who-Thinks-She's-My-Girlfriend-Is-A-Horse...Don't-Take-My-Picture-or-Play-My-Music-Unless-You-Intend-to Pay-Me...Why-Don't-Record-Labels-Like-Me-Anymore" Attitude.

I'm definitely going to add "Vocal Penetration" to my CD collection.

And it was great to see everyone again!!! It was definitely a BEAUTIFUL night!!!

On a sidenote: I felt so bad for that last band that went on --- They were introduced and there was no applause because the place was empty. I heard them start playing from outside. It was quite sad. Jesse WAS the Headliner as far as I'm concerned. But hey, The Roxy scheduled things that way...FAIL.

CELEB SIGHTING for the evening: Terry Lewis was in the house!!!

SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC!!!